WAEC SSCE - English Language - 2016

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The word that best completes the sentence is "extort". This is because the sentence implies that the police officer used his position of power to try and get money from the motorist through coercion or threats. "Extort" means to obtain something, especially money, by force or threats, which fits the context of the sentence. The other options do not accurately convey the meaning intended by the sentence. "Exert" means to apply or bring to bear, "exact" means to demand and obtain something from someone, often by force, and "extract" means to remove or take out something from a larger whole.

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The word that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the underlined word "alleviate" and that correctly fills the gap in the sentence is "aggravate". The sentence is discussing the effects of good and bad qualities on poverty. "Alleviate" means to make something less severe or intense, so the sentence suggests that good qualities have a positive effect on poverty, making it less severe. Therefore, the opposite word that fits into the gap must mean to make poverty worse or more severe, and "aggravate" is the best fit. The other options do not carry the opposite meaning of "alleviate" and are not appropriate for the sentence.

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The interpretation that is most appropriate for the sentence "After several attempts to claim the child, he threw in the towel" is that he accepted defeat. The phrase "threw in the towel" is an idiom that means to give up or surrender, often used in situations where someone has been struggling or competing but decides to quit because they can't succeed. In this context, the person had made several attempts to claim the child but was unsuccessful, so they eventually gave up and accepted defeat.

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The most appropriate word to complete the sentence is B, "of." The sentence is describing the material from which the shoes are made, and the word "genuine" implies that the shoes are made from real or authentic leather. Therefore, the correct answer is B, "of." Option A, "on," is not appropriate because it does not indicate the material from which the shoes are made. Option C, "with," is not appropriate because it does not indicate the material from which the shoes are made. Option D, "by," is not appropriate because it does not indicate the material from which the shoes are made.

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The word that best completes the sentence is "ultimatum." "Ultimatum" refers to a final demand or threat of action that is made if certain conditions are not met. In this sentence, the speaker is giving the other party an ultimatum to either pay the rent or vacate the premises. Therefore, "ultimatum" is the best fit for the sentence. The other options do not convey the same meaning as "ultimatum." "Injunction" refers to a court order requiring someone to do or refrain from doing something, which is not relevant to the context of the sentence. "Admonition" means a warning or advice given to someone, which is not forceful enough in this context. "Undertaking" refers to a commitment or promise to do something, which is also not relevant to the context of the sentence.

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The correct answer is "seems". "Every one of the boys" is a singular subject and requires a singular verb. "Seems" is the correct form of the verb to agree with a singular subject. So the sentence means that each boy is excited about the picnic.

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The word that best completes the sentence is "naive." "Naive" means lacking experience, wisdom, or judgment, and therefore, easily deceived or tricked. In this sentence, the speaker is asking if the person they are talking to is naive enough to believe the lies told by someone else. Therefore, "naive" is the best fit for the sentence. The other options do not convey the same meaning as "naive." "Credible" means trustworthy and believable, which is the opposite of what the speaker is suggesting. "Childish" means immature, which is not relevant to the context of the sentence. "Modest" means humble or moderate, which is also not relevant to the sentence.

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The word that correctly fills the blank in the sentence "The Minister....Agriculture visited our school today" is "of." In this context, "of" is used to show the relationship between the Minister and Agriculture. The sentence means that the Minister responsible for Agriculture visited the school. Therefore, "of" is the most appropriate word to fill the blank in the sentence.

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The word that is nearest in meaning to the underlined word "abhor" as used in the sentence is "despise". The sentence means that most people have a strong feeling of dislike towards nagging. "Abhor" means to regard with disgust or hatred, and "despise" means to feel a strong dislike or contempt for someone or something. Both words express strong negative feelings and can be used interchangeably in this context. "Scorn" means to feel or express contempt for someone or something, "reject" means to refuse to accept or consider, and "slight" means to treat with disrespect or disregard, which are not appropriate in the context of the sentence.

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The phrase "backed the wrong horse" means that Buba made a mistake in supporting something or someone. It implies that Buba's choice was not the correct one, and that he should have chosen differently. Therefore, the most appropriate interpretation is that Buba "supported the wrong person."

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In this sentence, the speaker is hoping that Beatrice will allow them to stay overnight. The word that best fits this context and is closest in meaning to "allowing someone to stay" is "generous". However, "generous" does not quite fit the polite and respectful tone of the sentence. The best word that fits the context and tone is "gracious", which means courteous, kind, and having good manners.

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The correct word to complete the sentence is "mature". The sentence is expressing disbelief that someone with a certain characteristic would do something. "Matured" means that someone has developed or grown in maturity, which is not the intended meaning of the sentence. "Maturing" refers to the process of developing or growing in maturity, and "matures" is the present tense of the verb "mature", which is not appropriate in this sentence. Therefore, "mature" is the best option as it refers to a person who has already developed and possesses maturity.

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The word that best completes the sentence and is used in the same way as it is in the sentence is "secure". This is because in the sentence, the person did everything possible to make the building stronger and more protected against attack. Therefore, the word that would fit this meaning is "secure" which means to make something safe and protected from danger.

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The correct option to complete the sentence is "beside". "I didn't tell my parents about the trip because they would be beside themselves with worry." The phrase "beside themselves" means to be extremely agitated, upset or worried. In this context, the speaker is saying that if they were to tell their parents about the trip, it would cause them to become extremely worried, so they chose not to tell them. The other options, "at", "upon", and "within" do not make sense in this context.

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The word that best completes the sentence is "in." The preposition "in" is used to show the subject in which the degree must be obtained. In this sentence, the speaker is talking about becoming a doctor and specifies that a degree "in" medicine is required. The other options do not convey the same meaning as "in." "On" could be used to talk about a topic that is being studied, but it is not appropriate to describe a degree. "For" and "of" do not indicate the subject area of the degree, and they do not provide the necessary information in the sentence.

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The interpretation that is most appropriate for "We saw Ada, of all people, dancing" is "we were surprised to see Ada dancing". This means that Ada is not someone who is expected to dance in that situation, and the speaker is expressing surprise or disbelief that Ada was the one who was dancing. The phrase "of all people" emphasizes this surprise, as it suggests that Ada is the last person that the speaker would expect to see dancing in that particular context.

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The sentence suggests that in the past, if someone angered the gods, they were forced to do something to make the gods happy again. The underlined word "made to" implies that this was not optional. The word that is most nearly opposite in meaning to "appease" (the underlined word) is "anger." If someone angers the gods, they are doing something that the gods do not like, whereas if someone appeases the gods, they are doing something to make the gods happy again. Therefore, the word that will correctly fill the gap in the sentence and is most nearly opposite in meaning to "appease" is "anger." So the correct answer is the option that means "anger."

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The sentence is talking about the effect of the haircut on the person's appearance in a crowd. The phrase "stand out" means to be noticeable or prominent, which fits the context of the sentence. Therefore, the correct answer is "stand out."

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The phrase "make me see red" is an idiom that means to make someone very angry or infuriated. Therefore, the most appropriate interpretation for the sentence "People who tell lies make me see red" is that such people make the speaker "angry". The sentence expresses the speaker's intense emotions towards those who are dishonest and lie. It implies that the speaker is greatly offended and provoked by the act of lying. The phrase "see red" is used to indicate the intensity of the speaker's anger, suggesting that they become so enraged that they perceive everything in a reddish hue.

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The word that best completes the sentence is "has not visited". "Has not visited" is the correct tense to use in the sentence. The sentence suggests that the speaker's brother has been transferred to Banjul, and it is implied that he has not visited their hometown since the transfer. The present perfect tense "has not visited" is used to indicate an action that started in the past and continues up to the present. Therefore, "has not visited" is the most appropriate choice to complete the sentence in the given context.

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The correct word to complete the sentence is "either here or there". "Either here or there" means that something could be in one place or the other, or in some cases, in both places. In the given sentence, the speaker is asking about the status or outcome of a submission, and the response could be in either a positive or negative direction. Therefore, "either here or there" is the most appropriate choice to complete the sentence. The other options, "neither here or there", "either here nor there", and "neither there or here" do not fit in the context and do not convey the intended meaning of the sentence.

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The word that best describes Victor's trait in the given sentence is "outstanding". "Outstanding" means exceptionally good, remarkable or prominent. In the given sentence, the speaker is stating that Victor's most dominant trait is bravery. By using the word "outstanding", the speaker is emphasizing that Victor's bravery is exceptional or remarkable, which makes it stand out among his other traits. Therefore, the word "outstanding" is the best fit in the given context.

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The most appropriate word to complete the sentence is D, "would." The sentence expresses the speaker's preference or desire for someone not to stay, and the word "rather" implies a preference or inclination towards a particular option. Therefore, the correct answer is D, "would." Option A, "could," is not appropriate because it indicates a possibility or ability, which does not fit the context of the sentence. Option B, "should," is not appropriate because it indicates an obligation or necessity, which does not fit the context of the sentence. Option C, "will," is not appropriate because it indicates a future action or event, which does not fit the context of the sentence.

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The word that best completes the sentence is "than I am". This is because the sentence is comparing Kofi's ability in physics to the ability of the person he is speaking to. When making comparisons of ability, we use the structure "better than" to show that one person's ability is greater than another's. Therefore, the correct phrase is "Kofi said he is better at physics than I am", meaning that Kofi believes he has a greater ability in physics than the person he is speaking to. The other options are incorrect because they do not fit with the grammatical structure needed to make a comparison of ability.

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The sentence "You like ice cream, _____?" is an example of a tag question, which is a grammatical structure used to confirm or check information. The correct tag question to use here depends on the context and the speaker's intent. In this sentence, the speaker is asking for confirmation that the listener likes ice cream. Since the statement "you like ice cream" is a positive statement, the tag question that is most appropriate is "don't you?" Therefore, the correct answer is "don't you?" The complete sentence is "You like ice cream, don't you?" which is a question used to confirm that the listener likes ice cream.

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The most suitable option for the sentence is "would have stopped." This is because the sentence is in the past tense and involves a hypothetical scenario. "Would have stopped" is used to express a hypothetical past action that did not actually occur, but would have occurred if certain conditions had been met. In this sentence, the speaker is imagining a scenario where someone else (she) told them something, and they are wondering if they would have told you (the listener) if they had known about it. Therefore, "would have stopped" fits the context of the sentence best.

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The underlined word in the sentence is "averse", which means having a strong dislike or opposition to something. To choose the most nearly opposite word, we should look for a word that means having a liking or acceptance of something. Among the given options, the word that is most nearly opposite in meaning to "averse" is "welcomed", which means to receive or accept something with pleasure or approval. Therefore, the correct answer is "welcomed". The completed sentence would be: Though the teachers welcomed the idea, the principal was averse to it. This means that while the teachers were in favor of the idea, the principal strongly disliked it.

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The word that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the underlined word "ambiguous" and correctly fills the gap in the sentence is "clear". "Ambiguous" means unclear or having more than one possible interpretation. In the given sentence, the speaker is saying that they thought the message was not ambiguous, which means that they believed it was clear and easy to understand. Therefore, the word "clear" is the most appropriate choice, as it is the opposite of "ambiguous" and fits well in the sentence to convey the intended meaning.

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The correct option is "were". The subject of the sentence is "The coach, as well as the players," which is plural because it refers to more than one person. Therefore, the verb needs to be in the plural form to agree with the subject. "Was" and "is" are singular forms of the verb, which would not agree with the plural subject, while "are" is also incorrect because it suggests that the coach and players are currently receiving gifts, when the sentence is referring to a past event. Therefore, "were" is the correct form of the verb to use, as it is the past tense plural form of "to be".

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The most nearly opposite word to "nervous" is "composed". Therefore, the correct option to fill the gap in the sentence is "composed". The sentence suggests that it is normal to feel nervous when you first take the stage, but you soon become "composed", meaning you become calm, confident and in control of your emotions. The other options, "balanced", "peaceful", and "normal" do not convey the opposite meaning of "nervous" and do not make sense in the context of the sentence.

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The word that best completes the sentence is "amendment." "Amendment" refers to a change or addition to a legal document, such as a constitution. In this sentence, the members of parliament are proposing a change to the constitution, so "amendment" is the best fit for the sentence. The other options do not convey the same meaning as "amendment." "Adjustment" means a minor change or modification, which may not be appropriate for a constitution. "Enactment" refers to the process of making a law, which is not relevant to the context of the sentence. "Annulment" means the cancellation or invalidation of a legal document, which is the opposite of what the members of parliament are trying to do.

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The appropriate option to complete the sentence is "augment". The sentence suggests that the speaker gave something to the person being addressed and that this item was intended to increase or supplement their monthly earnings. The word "augment" means to increase or make something larger, which fits the context of the sentence. Therefore, the sentence means that the item that the speaker gave was intended to add to or increase the recipient's monthly earnings.

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The word that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the underlined word "keep" and correctly fills the gap in the sentence "Despite everything, I chose to keep rather than .... the secret" is "reveal." The word "keep" in this sentence means to hold onto something, usually a secret or information, and not share it with others. Therefore, the opposite of "keep" is to share or disclose something, which is what the word "reveal" means. In this context, the speaker chose to keep the secret, which means they did not reveal or disclose it to others. So, "reveal" is the most appropriate word to fill the gap in the sentence.

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The word that correctly fills the blank in the sentence "The management applauded the staff for their hardwork" is "commended." In this context, "commended" means to praise or express approval for someone's work or behavior. Therefore, the sentence means that the management praised the staff for their hard work. Therefore, "commended" is the most appropriate word to fill the blank in the sentence.

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The most appropriate word to complete the sentence is B, "strange." The sentence expresses the speaker's opinion about the costume, and the word "outlandish" implies that the costume is unusual, bizarre, or eccentric. Therefore, the correct answer is B, "strange." Option A, "outdated," is not appropriate because it indicates something that is old-fashioned or no longer in use, which does not fit the context of the sentence. Option C, "unique," is not appropriate because it implies something that is one of a kind or rare, which may not fit the context of the sentence. Option D, "foreign," is not appropriate because it implies something that is from another country or culture, which may not fit the context of the sentence.

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The best option to complete the sentence is "having lived". The sentence is in the present tense, but it refers to a past action (living in the town). The phrase "having lived" is in the present perfect tense, which is used to describe an action that started in the past and continues up to the present. Therefore, "having lived" in this sentence suggests that the speaker has lived in the town for many years, and as a result, has gained a lot of knowledge about the people who live there.

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The most appropriate interpretation is that the mother wanted to find out why he was upset. This is because the phrase "what was eating him" is an idiom that means "what is bothering or distressing him". Therefore, the mother was likely concerned about her child's emotional state and wanted to understand why he was feeling upset or troubled. The other interpretations are less likely because they do not fit with the idiomatic meaning of "what was eating him".

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The correct option is (B) "neither." This is because the sentence indicates that both Mary and Peter did not take the advice given. "Neither" means "not one of two," so it is the most appropriate option. "All" suggests that both Mary and Peter took the advice, "either" implies that one of them took the advice while "each" implies that both of them took the advice, which is not the case in the sentence.

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The word that best completes the sentence is "capital". This is because "capital punishment" refers to the legal penalty of death, which is typically reserved for the most serious crimes, such as murder. The other options, "fatal", "severe", and "corporal", do not specifically refer to the death penalty.

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The underlined word is "arranged" and the sentence is talking about the expectation that books kept in the library should be well-organized and not jumbled. The word that is most nearly opposite in meaning to "arranged" is "jumbled." Therefore, the correct answer is the option that means "well-organized," which is "arranged."

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The most nearly opposite word to "keen" is "reluctant". Therefore, the correct option to fill the gap in the sentence is "reluctant". A "keen" student is one who is eager and enthusiastic about learning and makes progress. On the other hand, a "reluctant" student is one who is hesitant and unwilling to learn, and therefore does not do well.

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The appropriate option to complete the sentence is "were". The sentence is in the form of a conditional statement where the speaker is talking about a hypothetical situation. The use of the word "if" indicates that the situation has not happened yet. The word "were" is the correct form of the verb "to be" to use in this type of conditional sentence. Therefore, the sentence means that if the person being referred to were present, they would do whatever is being talked about for free.

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The word that best completes the sentence is "most." "Most" is used as a modifier to indicate that the speaker likes swimming more than any other sport. In this sentence, the speaker is indicating that swimming is their favorite sport. The other options do not convey the same meaning as "most." "Better" is used to compare two things and to indicate that one is superior to the other, but it does not indicate that swimming is the speaker's favorite sport. "Much" is an adverb that is used to modify adjectives or other adverbs, and it does not provide the necessary information in the sentence. "More" is a comparative modifier that is used to indicate that one thing is greater or larger than another thing, but it does not indicate that swimming is the speaker's favorite sport.

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The most appropriate interpretation of the sentence "My school carried the day in the debate" is that my school won the debate. The phrase "carried the day" is an idiomatic expression that means to emerge as the winner or to be victorious. Therefore, the sentence suggests that my school was successful in the debate and emerged as the winner.

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The word that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the underlined word "wide" and correctly fills the gap in the sentence "The road which used to be wide now appears .... because of the new drainage" is "narrow." The word "wide" means broad or spacious, while the word "narrow" means limited or restricted. In this context, the road has become less broad due to the new drainage, so the opposite of "wide" is "narrow." Therefore, "narrow" is the most appropriate word to fill the gap in the sentence.

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The sentence "Where did this document emanate from?" is asking about the origin of a document. The word "emanate" means to originate or come from a particular source. Therefore, the correct word to choose from the options given is "originate". The word "originate" means to begin, arise, or start from a particular source. In the context of the sentence, it is asking where the document came from or where it began. Therefore, the sentence is asking about the origin of the document, making "originate" the most appropriate word to use.

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The correct option is "make up." To "make up" for lost time means to compensate for time that has been lost or wasted. It means to work harder or more efficiently in order to catch up with the schedule or to regain lost ground. For example, if a team has fallen behind schedule on a project, they might need to work longer hours or on weekends to make up for the time that was lost. Similarly, if a student has missed classes or failed to study for an exam, they might need to spend extra time studying in order to make up for the lost time. The other options, "make in," "make by," and "make through," do not fit the context of the sentence and do not convey the same meaning as "make up for."

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The word that best completes the sentence is "excessive." This is because the sentence talks about the wife's demands for money being too much, unreasonable or more than what is appropriate, which means that the demands are excessive. The other options, such as "frequent," "repeated," or "indecent," do not accurately describe the nature of the wife's demands in the sentence.

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The best option to complete the sentence is "to have seen." The sentence is in the past tense and requires a past participle to complete the verb phrase. "To have seen" is a past participle phrase that functions as the object of the verb "claims." The sentence is asking if she saw someone jump over the fence. Example: She claims to have seen someone jump over the fence.

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The word that best completes the sentence is "set in." "Set in" means to begin and to become established or fixed. In this sentence, the speaker is saying that darkness began to set in while they were only halfway home. The other options do not convey the same meaning as "set in." "Set out" means to start a journey or task, which is not relevant to the context of the sentence. "Set up" means to establish or create something, which is not relevant to the context of the sentence. "Set off" means to start a journey or to cause something to start, which is not relevant to the context of the sentence.

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The most appropriate word to complete the sentence is B, "should." The sentence expresses a reproachful or admonishing tone towards the person being addressed, and the word "should" indicates an expectation or obligation to feel ashamed for saying something inappropriate. Therefore, the correct answer is B, "should." Option A, "we," is not appropriate because it does not fit the context of the sentence. Option C, "might," is not appropriate because it implies a possibility or uncertainty, which does not fit the context of the sentence. Option D, "shall," is not appropriate because it indicates a future obligation or action, which does not fit the context of the sentence.

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The most appropriate interpretation of the sentence "I knew that they were economical with the truth" is that they knew more than they were prepared to say. The phrase "economical with the truth" is an idiom that means to not tell the whole truth or to be deliberately vague or evasive in what one says. Therefore, the sentence suggests that the speaker believes that the people in question knew more about something than they were willing to reveal or admit.

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The correct phrase that best completes the sentence is "make do". "Make do" means to manage with what is available or to make the best of a situation with limited resources. In the given sentence, the speaker is suggesting that they should manage with the resources they have for the time being until they can buy more. Therefore, "make do" is the most appropriate choice to complete the sentence. The other options, "make up", "make away", and "make out", do not fit in the context and do not convey the intended meaning of the sentence.

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The correct answer is "school principal's." The sentence is asking who everyone wants to be the favorite of, and the answer is the "school principal." To indicate possession or ownership of the principal, the apostrophe and "s" are added after "principal," making it "school principal's." This option correctly conveys the intended meaning of the sentence.

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The phrase "none the" is commonly followed by a noun indicating a negative outcome or lack of progress. Therefore, the most appropriate word to complete the sentence is A, "wiser." The sentence means that even after the person explained something, the listener did not gain any knowledge or understanding and remained at the same level of ignorance. The word "wiser" indicates the opposite of ignorance and implies that the explanation did not have any effect. Option B, "wise," is not appropriate because it is an adjective, and the sentence requires a noun to indicate a lack of progress. Option C, "wisest," is not appropriate because it implies the highest level of wisdom, which does not fit the context of the sentence. Option D, "worse," is not appropriate because it indicates a negative outcome, which is not related to the lack of progress in gaining knowledge or understanding.

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The word that best completes the sentence is "addiction". This is because the sentence is discussing a worrying behavior towards violent video games, which suggests that the person in question has an unhealthy or excessive interest in them. An addiction is a strong and harmful need to regularly engage in a particular activity, and this would fit with the context of the sentence. The other options could also suggest a strong interest, but they do not necessarily carry the negative connotations of addiction, which is the best fit for the given sentence.

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The word that best completes the sentence is "lasting." "Lasting" means enduring or able to withstand wear, pressure, or damage over time. In this sentence, the speaker is suggesting that it is better to buy products that are durable or long-lasting. The other options do not convey the same meaning as "lasting." "Authentic" refers to something that is genuine or true, which is not relevant to the context of the sentence. "Expensive" refers to something that is costly, but it is not necessarily durable or long-lasting. "Permanent" means something that is fixed or enduring, but it may not be applicable to all types of products, and it may not necessarily be a desirable quality in a product.

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The best option to complete the sentence is "in". The sentence suggests that the speaker and possibly others arrived just at the right moment for the formal opening. The word "in" in this context means "at" or "during". Therefore, the sentence implies that the speaker and others arrived at the venue for the formal opening just at the time when it was supposed to start.

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The interpretation that is most appropriate for "This is their third defeat in a row" is "suffered three consecutive defeats". This means that the team has lost their last three games or competitions in a row, without any wins or draws in between. In other words, they have been defeated in a row, one after the other, without any breaks.

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The word that best fits the sentence "This is one decision you cannot defend" is "justify." The verb "to defend" means to protect or support something from criticism, attack or challenge. So, if you say that someone "cannot defend" a decision, it means that the decision is indefensible or cannot be justified. Therefore, "justify" is the most appropriate word for this sentence because it means to provide a reason or explanation for a decision or action, in order to show that it is right, reasonable or justifiable.

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The correct answer is "ourselves". In the sentence, "They told her that we would solve the problem ourselves," the pronoun "ourselves" is used to indicate that the problem will be solved by the speaker and other people who are part of the same group as the speaker. It emphasizes that the speaker and their group will take care of the problem and do not need any help from others.

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